Carpe Diem: Seize the Day
by RikuHakumeiXena
Summary: Struggling against darkness, a young girl must team up with strangers to destroy a shadowy man from her past. [Reposted OCKHFF]
1. Chapter 1

Hello, hello! Welcome, welcome! Welcome to Carpe Diem or "Seize the Day", the Kingdom Hearts / Final Fantasyfanfiction reposted! Haku-chan here, nice to meet you.This lil' story here is by Hakumei, Riku and Xena. We started this story quite a long time ago, and arenow sharing it on the internet. This story has a fansite at **carpe. t35. com.** three of us worked very hard on the chapters and site & we do hope you check it out! 

**Disclaimer:** Carpe Diem is in no relation with the Square Enix co. We hope you enjoy and thank you for all of your support!

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Chapter 1: Where Paths Seem to Collide

In the country of Seresu

Xena Swordheart was walking on the snowy streets of the village looking for Clark, the towns blacksmith, who was supposed to be finished with her new pair of knives. She hummed an old tune her father had taught her when she was young as she neared. Seeing Clark was always nice. She always did have feelings for him. He was older, caring, and mysterious. Not to mention he had good looks. As She neared the store her heart started beating faster. Xena went to open the shop door, only to find that it wouldn't budge. "Well that's strange, Clark always has the shop opened at two p.m." she wondered to herself. She stepped back and rammed into the door causing it to open. She looked around. The shop was silent and barren. "Clark, are you here?" Xena called out. A hiss came from the backroom and the flapping of wings grew more silent with every passing second. The smell of blood reached her nostrils and she covered her nose. "That can't be good" she said silently as she ran to the back door turning the knob. Amazingly it opened. But it was not what Xena wanted to see. She gasped and covered her mouth. There was Clark. Three cuts on his left cheek. Lying on the floor. Neck torn and bloody. Dead. Xena couldn't help but let out a scream of genuine terror.

Another person, a boy to be precise, walked the streets of this odd, unfamiliar, cold place. It was nothing he was used to. Cold weather, snow, not his usual sunny island with the papou trees and the cool smell of the ocean.. But, unfortunately for him, this is where he had ended up. So, this was where he was destined to roamed. He didn't see many people. He didn't see many buildings either. A few houses, and a store looking place. All doors had been closed due to the harsh weather, except one. He had merely guessed that some small children were playing there and had broken the door. He also guessed that was where the scream had come from. Just two hyper, naïve, carefree children. So He walked on, not knowing the events that would happen next. "Those children, are so lucky to not know what is going on with the worlds"

In another country, far away

A tail swooshed against a wood floor as a young girl with cat ears and a tail rested her head on the palm of her hand. she was surrounded by beads and jewels, gold and paintings, but she was bored with this life. People just didn't seem to understand that wealth and beauty could never bring happiness. But the young cat girl was going to find out what would make her happy. Determination and curiosity was eating at her every day. It was always the same question. "What makes people so happy?" she asked aloud. She stood up and walked to the door, lifted up the hide covering the opening and walked out. another cat girl ran up to her. "Chieftan! please, you have to get ready to leave!" the little girl said.

"Yes, thank you." Chieftan said. Awhile later an elderly cat girl came in. "Good luck, Chieftan" The elder told her. the chieftan was draped in brown and red shawls, the elderly cat girl casted a spell and the chieftan was transported to another country instantly

Back in Seresu

Xena ran over to Clark and knelt down next to him, examining the wounds. All of the vampiric saliva she had wasn't going to fix the wounds he had. No reviving would bring him back. Xena was about to sob when more screams came from the village. One scream caught her attention. "VAMPANEZE!" a woman screamed. Xena gasped and ran out, but something caught her eye. 2 shiny daggers lay on a table with a not attached. To Xena - Love, Clark Xena had tears in her eyes as she looked over at his brutally disfigured body. "Even in death may you be triumphant Clark". Taking her right hand, she made the deaths touch sign (Middle finger on fore head, the index and pointer on the eyelids and the pinky and thumb where the far side of the eye is from the nose) and ran out to help ward of the vampaneze who had dared to raid the village. "They shall pay dearly" she said following the foul scent of vampaneze. As she ran through the streets, there was complete chaos. Everyone running in the same direction. Riku whip lashed around at the screaming as a few villagers ran past him. He let them push him as he walked back to the blacksmith shop. Maybe it wasn't a child after all. He ran to the door of the place and looked in. He gagged at the sight inside and withdrew. "Nice" He said quietly as he walked backwards out of the place.

Shortly after, he backed into an elderly man who grabbed his shoulders and shook him. "Run, boy." the man said in a raspy voice, leaving Riku to only raise his eye brow and back away from the man. And once he did, he backed into another. It was a girl and she looked really angry and ready to kill anything or anyone that got in her way. This made him instantly draw his sword. As the two started to walk in a circle, a shock of blue electricity hit the ground in the middle of the 2. The two fighters gasped and stepped back. "What the hell?" Xena wondered to herself. A circle of lightning had formed, and once it had cleared a shadow was laying on the ground. Lifting itself up, the features of a young girl became clearer. She looked up, face partly covered by the hood of her cloa, and looked at the boy in front of her, then turned around to see a girl then turned back, smiled, and said "Hello."

Xena now frustrated took out her knives and held one of them in front of her "The two of you. Who are you and what do you want?". "I should be asking you the same." Riku replied. "I'm Hakumei." the girl said with a smile. Xena nodded and looked back to Riku. Riku: Where are we? Xena paused but than lowered her knife. If she wanted help she would need to tell them everything. Your in Seresu. I'm Xena." holding out her hand. Riku nodded. "My name is Riku." He lowered his weapon grabbed her hand but instead of shaking it, he flipped her over. Riku smirked "And be more careful with things..". Xena grred and raised up her knives. "Don't tell me what to do, I have a job to do right now. Will you twp help me?." she asked. This was embarrassing for her. She HATED asking for help. She preferred doing things alone.

Riku smirked and nodded. "I'll help." he said. Though, then he began to wonder what he was doing." So what am I helping with? I mean, what do I have to do?". He wasn't really used to this "help" thing. It was a bit...out of the normal. Although, then he remembered nothing was normal right now. So he gave up on the questioning. Hakumei smiled and said "I will help" she started walking forwards, towards the loud booms and opposite of the screaming/running people.

"So answer my question. What are we exactly helping you out with?." Riku asked her. Xena sighed and asked "do you two know what vampaneze are?" Both shook their heads no. "Ill explain on the way!." The three took off as Xena started to explain about the fearsome creatures. "Vampaneze are like Vampires but they have fangs and tear the humans neck when they feed. They're Violent, maniacal and dangerous. You can tell if someone's a vampaneze or vampire by three things. Smell, fangs and wings. If you noticed, mine are small and crimson, vampires wings are different colors and are only visible for one week of every month. Vampaneze have purple wings which they always have. they have fangs, and they have a different smell.

Riku nodded. "If you're a vampire, can you sniff the vampaneze out?" Riku asked. Xena nodded. Sniffing the air her eyes widened.

"What wrong?" Hakumei asked.

"Shit! there isn't one but there's two, and they're both females!" Xena growled. Xena did not like female vampaneze. They were like 5 vampaneze men put together. Besides, female vampaneze can be as sly, cunning, and annoying as hell… Riku shook his head. "Females..." he sighed, as he took out his sword. "So, how do we kill them?" Riku asked.. "yes, how?" Hakumei asked. Xena sighed. "These two have obviously watched many of those ridiculous vampire horror movies. They all believe EVERYTHING they're told. "The same way you'd kill a human or a vampire. Poison, bullets, swords, spears and other things." Xena told them. Riku nodded. As they ran past a house Xena stopped. She stared at the two bodies laying on the ground. "NO!" she screamed running over. Xena fell on her knees, next to the man and women, whose necks were torn. Xena just stared and made the Death's touch sign. "Even in Death, May you be triumphant." she said, her voice slightly cracking.

"What the hell?" Riku asked Hakumei.

"I think they might be her parents" Hakumei said sadly. Xena suddenly got up, shocking the two.

"Come on, we have to keep going." Xena said. The two were still for a moment but than Riku nodded as he followed Xena to a rundown barn. Once they got their they listened to the voices insides. Voice one: "I want first bite!"

Voice 2: "No! You had the first bite last time remember."

Xena kicked open the door to find a blonde haired vampaneze girl and a red haired vampaneze girl who could not have been older than the three, leaning over a boy with spiky brown hair who Riku knew all too well. Riku, noticing who this was, took no consideration of his own life and lunged at the Vampaneze. His best friend could not and would not be killed. Not on his watch. His friend had done so much for him. Hakumei brushed away her giant cloak and took out a giant silver/black axe. "Come on!" Hakumei jumped up and slashed her axe into the red haired one. The vampaneze screamed and turned into dust. The Blonde haired vampaneze girl screamed and shouted "You will pay!". The Vampaneze ran at Xena, but Xena just looked uncaringly and put the knife into the vampanezes' stomach. She too, screamed and turned to dust. Xena put her knife away and said "All done.". Riku stood and stared at the two with his eye brow raised. "What the hell?" he said as he stared at the girls "You all are THAT strong?" During his confusion, he had rather forgotten Sora. Xena stared angrily at Riku. She walked over to him and pushed him against the wall and in the blink of an eye held both knives against his throat. Xena: "Yea. That damn strong" she smirked.

_To be continued..._


	2. Chapter 2

Haku-chan back again with Chapter 2 of Carpe Diem! Thank you so much to Omnislasher4871 for our first review! You can view all of the chapters 1-6 at our fanfiction site: **carpe. t35. com!** Please check it out & tell us what you think! In the first chapter we met Xena, Haku, Sora &Riku ... who will we meet this chapter? Will we meet anyone? Will anything happen? Well ... you'll just have to read to find out! ;)

**Disclaimer:** Carpe Diem is in no relation with the Square Enix co. We hope you enjoy and thank you for all of your support!

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Chapter 2: Things are not going over smoothly

"Riku! Your friend!" Hakumei said worriedly as she ran to sit beside the spiky haired boy. She put her hand on his chest and said in relief, "Phew, he's still breathing". She smiled, then frowned looking at his clothes, "Strange outfit."

Riku was still staring wide eyed at Xena. A look of shock and stupidity was plastered on his face. He pushed her to the side lightly and nodded to Hakumei. "Its an island thing," Riku said motioning to his own clothes. He walked over to Sora. "You still don't got it," he said to the unconscious Sora, trying to lighten the mood.

Hakumei looked around, "Where can we go? This village is deserted by now," She asked looking to Xena. Xena shrugged and knelt beside Sora, examining for cuts. She found three on his left cheek. Putting her finger in her mouth, she took it out and rubbed it on Sora's cut. In a matter of seconds, the cut healed and both Riku and Hakumei stared in shock.

"How the hell did you do that." Riku asked is disbelief at what he'd just saw.

"Vampire saliva can heal cuts and sicknesses," Xena told him nonchalantly.

"Like what!" Riku asked in shock.

"If you ever took medicine for a sore throat, you've had vampire spit," Xena smirked and winked.

Riku took Xena's remark as if someone had told him that they put poison in his food, which is very disgusting.

"We have no vampires in my land, we have mages for illnesses" Hakumei stated.

He knelt next to Sora also, away from Xena and looked up. "You...are very screwed," was all he could say. Xena growled and punched him into the wall and ran over beating the crap out of him.

"NO STOP! PLEASE! WE HAVE TO HELP THIS BOY!" Hakumei cried. Riku pushed Xena off and slapped her across the face. Remembering Sora, he walked over.  
Hakumei knelt down to the boy again, "We have to carry him. There's probably another town around this one, let's go," Xena informed the two. Riku scowled as he threw Sora over his shoulder. "Where we going?" he asked as he looked angrily to Xena.

Xena returned the glare, "There's another town about five hours away from here. He'll be up in a few minutes. He was knocked out by a gas that the vampaneze can breathe on humans. We should hurry." Hakumei rested her hand on the boy's back as he was carried away by Riku. Before she walked back out of the barn she put her hood back on and rested her hand again. Xena noticed this, but just looked forward.

Riku then stopped and turned. "Maybe someone else should lead the way?" he said. "Preferably someone TRUSTWORTHY." He emphasized the last word as he looked to Xena. Xena nodded and walked in front of the two.

Hakumei couldn't help but wonder to herself, " If Seresu was Xena's hometown and everyone's gone, she must have lost everyone and everything. Why isn't she acting sad about it. Or is she just bottling it up"  
Xena looked forward and than to the sky. Xena was on the verge of tears but wasn't going to show them in front of Riku because he would only make fun of her. It hurt. Everyone was gone. Clark, Emelya, and most of all, her parents. The people she knew forever. Never returning. pHakumei put her head down, her hood falling over her face, not seeing the dead bodies, started to walk towards the gate, having her hand still on the brown-haired boy's back, forcing Riku to move away from Xena. "How could two young Vampaneze girls do while I was around? My parents were vampires. But they were killed by them. Gone... How could the vampaneze play so dirty and live being OKAY with it?" Xena asked herself. pRiku gave up trying to fight the girl's push and walked forward. He could tell Xena was incasing sadness.

"Go ahead. Cry" He said, twisting his head around to Xena. "I know your bottling up emotions. We all have our problems. Only the weak hold their tears." he said these words all almost sincerely. Almost. Xena looked at him and ran as fast as she could away from them into the forest hiding behind a tree and sank to her knees face covered by her hands and sobbed to her hearts content. They were gone. No more comfort. No more. It was gone- and it only took a few quick, slow painful seconds. "Hey, are you okay?" Xena turned to see Riku. p Hakumei stared off into the forest as Riku followed Xena. looking down to the boy, she knelt and brushed away some brown hair from his face. she blushed slightly, he was very...cute then she drew her hand back quickly as he stirred.  
Riku looked at Xena. She just looked so…sad. He could tell in her dark crimson eyes that she was sad, and above all…frightened. "We all have our problems," he told her and took her hand to help her up. "We don't have much time. Lets go." Xena nodded, head held down she followed Riku. Xena looked to the sky and made the death touch sign, "Even in death may you be triumphant…". p Hakumei watched as the boy slowly opened his eyes. She was taken aback, they were a deep and extremely beautiful light sapphire blue. There was so much caring in the boy's eyes. "Are you awake now?" Hakumei asked concerned for the spiky-haired teenager. He stared at Hakumei for a second before his eyes widened. "Where am I?" Sora asked sitting up. "A little outside of Seresu. I'm Hakumei. Who are you?" Hakumei asked. Sora hesitated for a moment. "I'm Sora," he said.

Riku could have slapped himself for what he was doing. He kept making notes to himself saying that she had beat the wind out of him, she had put knives to his throat, and…whatever else she had done. Although, then he remembered he had hit her and flipped her and...whatever else. So in Riku's mind they were even. p Xena wondered why Riku had just been so nice to her. And wondered even more about why she cared about it, or didn't slap his hand or beat more of the crap out of him. It was peculiar to her. The two came to where Hakumei and Sora were, to see that Sora was awake. Sora looked over and his eyes grew wide. "R-Riku?" he asked looking at the silver haired teen.

"Who else, you moron?" Riku smirked. Riku looked over to Hakumei, "Do we still have to carry him?" He looked to Sora. "Hate to tell ya, but you aren't so light." Sora hmphed and put on a pouty face and crossed his arms over his chest as Hakumei giggled to herself.

"Can you walk?" Hakumei asked.

"No RIKU should carry me!"

Xena sighed at the two boy's childishness and said exasperatedly "Just shut up and lets go," she said walking over to Sora flipping him over her shoulder with ease.

Riku smirked at Sora and walked forward. "So, Where are we going?" he asked as he stared over the horizon. "And is it going to snow there?" Riku still had not adapted to the cold weather. Well...not THIS cold weather. Wherever they were going looked far off.

"3 to 5 hours" Xena replied. p"Ill carry him," he said to Xena. "I believe he is afraid of vampires. No offense." Riku motioned for Xena to play along. "I mean, he would never fear his ibest friend/i" Xena turned to face Riku.

"No that's ok. You're the one who said that he's too heavy for you." Xena smirked and kept walking. Sora snickered at her comment. Riku's mouth dropped open. Now he REALLY wondered why he had helped her. But he wouldn't worry about that. He rolled his eyes and, before he could say a smart remark, took a deep breath. Something that Kairi had taught him.

Hakumei sighed at the two fighting teenagers, iWe are never ever ever going to get to the next city without someone getting into a fight../i Hakumei thought to herself.

_To be continued..._

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The end ('til the next time!) How'd it go? Please review! We love them? It's our life force:( Don't let us shrivel up like prunes ... I hate those ...


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